I read through an Education Week Research Center report on Civics Education based on a survey of 524 principals, assistant principals, and other school-based leaders paints a dismal picture. I wanted to highlight some of the findings and then share some thoughts.

[COMMENTS FROM DONNA GARNER: A class in civics should teach students such things as how democracy started, the structure of American government, responsibilities of the judiciary/house/senate (at state and federal levels), the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, instruction on federal/state/local voting regulations, responsibilities and privileges of U. S. citizenship, a study of American democracy and how it compares to other systems of government.

Instead, civics as now being taught in many states has turned into an indoctrination into Obama’s and the leftists’ social justice agenda that emphasizes community organizing and planning and staging political activist demonstrations. End result: When reporters have asked student demonstrators to explain why they are demonstrating, many of them cannot even articulate a reasonable response that contains a premise supported by fact-based reasons. Unfortunately, students know HOW to protest but have limited knowledge about WHY. – Donna Garner]